Sponsored by

VGoodiez 420EDC
  • Welcome to VaporAsylum! Please take a moment to read our RULES and introduce yourself here.
  • Need help navigating the forum? Find out how to use our features here.
  • Did you know we have lots of smilies for you to use?

Law Tennessee

Baron23

Well-Known Member
"Harwell, who is running for governor next year, has said her views on medical marijuana have evolved since her sister used it in place of opioids to treat pain from a broken back."

So, just how fucking self-centered do you have to be to oppose something...well, until YOU need it (or your sister).

She should be embarrassed to make this statement.


A hold-out Dixie state has set up a panel to consider medical marijuana
Next year is the earliest legislation could be taken up

Published: Aug 29, 2017, 8:49 am • Updated: about 4 hours ago Comments (1)

By The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Legislative leaders are setting up a special committee to examine whether medical marijuana should be legalized in Tennessee.

WKRN-TV reports that the panel appointed by House Speaker Beth Harwell of Nashville and Senate Speaker Randy McNally of Oak Ridge includes eight Republicans and two Democrats. The panel is co-chaired by Rep. Jeremy Faison of Cosby and Sen. Steve Dickerson of Nashville, two Republicans who this year sponsored unsuccessful medical marijuana legislation.

The committee can only make recommendations, and next year is the earliest legislation could be taken up.

More Tennessee weed news
Harwell, who is running for governor next year, has said her views on medical marijuana have evolved since her sister used it in place of opioids to treat pain from a broken back.

 
"Harwell, who is running for governor next year, has said her views on medical marijuana have evolved since her sister used it in place of opioids to treat pain from a broken back."

So, just how fucking self-centered do you have to be to oppose something...well, until YOU need it (or your sister).

She should be embarrassed to make this statement.
While I partially agree with you and I find it frustrating when a politico changes their mind because it suddenly effects them, this is not like changing your mind on gay marriage because your daughter/son came out (Cheney). In this case seeing her sister actually getting pain reduction in the real world from cannabis consumption may have been an awakening for her that IT REALLY WORKS instead of being an "excuse" for legalizing. I really think many people don't realize that the medicinal benefits for cannabis are real. I don't know about this particular politico, but it is certainly a widely held belief among detractors that medical cannabis is just a bogus trojan horse. That is where education is the only way forward. It seems to me.
 

Medical cannabis effort fails in Tennessee as Senate sponsor halts bill


The sponsor of a bill that would legally allow some Tennesseans to use medical cannabis killed the proposal Tuesday.

Speaking to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Steve Dickerson, R-Nashville, said he did not have the support to advance the measure in the upper chamber.

"Unfortunately, I do not have the votes," Dickerson said.

"Instead of dragging this out interminably ... I think the better decision at this point is to put it in the general sub for the summer" he said, referring to the place where legislation dies.

Dickerson said he was making the decision despite weeks of work on the bill in the House.

Last week, a House committee approved an amended version of the bill that would give those suffering from roughly a dozen maladies a legal defense if they are arrested and prosecuted for having cannabis, provided they have a doctor’s note.

The Senate version would have required eligible patients to obtain registration cards to legally have cannabis while also creating a new state board.

Dickerson said he favored the originally drafted bill over the amended version, which he said would have a negative impact on residents.

"I fear that if we passed the water-down version of this bill, it would essentially forestall any efforts to have a much more widespread, much more thoughtful legislative construct for several years."

The senator said that the House version of the bill did not allow patients to legally obtain medical cannabis, nor provide the state an opportunity to tax and regulate it.

"It sort of encourages individuals possibly to go out of state and transport this across state lines, which I would think is probably against federal, if not state, law," he said.

The bill's House sponsor, Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, did not immediately respond to a request for comment but reacted to Dickerson's decision on social media.

"Sometimes you get to plant. Sometimes you get to water. Sometimes you get to harvest. I would love to be able to harvest but for right now, the TN Senate only wants planting and watering," Faison said on Twitter. "Medical Cannabis is coming to Murica regardless of the naysayers."

Dickerson's move came hours after he told the USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee that he was uncertain about the bill's future.

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, previously expressed skepticism about the bill's prospects in the Senate.

Shortly after Dickerson announced his decision in committee, McNally issued a statement saying the way the House changed the measure left the Nashville lawmaker "with limited options on how to proceed."

"I look forward to continued debate and discussion on this issue in the years to come," McNally said. "I am confident this issue will remain a contentious one."

In her own statement, House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, who backed the bill and cast a tie-breaking vote to keep it alive, said, "I knew this bill would have an uphill battle but I am glad it advanced further than ever before."

As Dickerson briefly discussed the bill in committee, he said he was encouraged by a recently released study that found in states that had marijuana dispensaries, opioid prescriptions declined.

"I'm committed to the proposition that cannabis is a medication and it can be substituted for other medications that are much more dangerous," he said, vowing to continue to advance the issue in future legislative sessions.

The bill has drawn considerable interest this year, with advocates arguing medical cannabis can be used to help fight the ongoing opioid crisis, as well as offer patients suffering from a host of medical issues an alternate treatment.

But opponents say that loosening the state’s ban on all forms of marijuana would be a safety risk.

Proponents of the measure were optimistic about the bill's chances this year, given Harwell's backing of it, the fact that so many legislators are not seeking re-election and rising public support.
 
:dog:

Tennessee state pension fund invested in marijuana industry

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee officials say they weren’t aware that the state’s pension fund invested stock in a marijuana industry company, despite the state’s opposition to legalizing any usage of marijuana.

The Times Free Press reports The Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System passively invested in the San Diego based marijuana company through a small-company stock index.

Tennessee Treasurer David Lillard says he didn’t know about the investment until the Chicago Sun-Times contacted him asking for information. He says he ordered the pension fund managers to sell the stock.

Senate Finance Chairman Bo Watson says the investment is contradictory and confusing to the public. Rep. Jeremy Faison says the stock is on the rise and questions the decision to sell the stock.

Lillard says they’ll have to review the process on purchasing indexes.
 
:dog:

Tennessee state pension fund invested in marijuana industry

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee officials say they weren’t aware that the state’s pension fund invested stock in a marijuana industry company, despite the state’s opposition to legalizing any usage of marijuana.

The Times Free Press reports The Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System passively invested in the San Diego based marijuana company through a small-company stock index.

Tennessee Treasurer David Lillard says he didn’t know about the investment until the Chicago Sun-Times contacted him asking for information. He says he ordered the pension fund managers to sell the stock.

Senate Finance Chairman Bo Watson says the investment is contradictory and confusing to the public. Rep. Jeremy Faison says the stock is on the rise and questions the decision to sell the stock.

Lillard says they’ll have to review the process on purchasing indexes.
So, you know, it's hypocritical and we should sell...but it's making money...so...
 
Tennessee's new tool allows authorities to differentiate hemp from high-THC cannabis

After facing a load of approximately 10,000 cannabis-related cases to process, the state of Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has established a two-step system of testing the product for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — a cannabis compound that causes intoxication — that takes just minutes.

Any cannabis containing more than 0.3 per cent of THC, which is the legal cut off point for whether the plant is defined as hemp, is considered illegal under federal and state law.
Both medical and adult-use cannabis are prohibited in Tennessee, with those convicted of possession risking a fine of at least $250 and up to a year in jail.
Although the test itself — a simple colour test — takes minutes to complete, clearing the backlog could take months.
“It is the same plant, it is the same species. It looks the same, feels the same and reacts the same to a lot of field color tests,” Mike Lyttle, TBI Assistant Director, Forensic Sciences Division, told WSMV News. “This has been one of the greatest challenges in forensic science over the last couple of years, how do you tell the difference between marijuana and hemp?”
Already overwhelmed with testing cannabis flower, the TBI is also responsible for testing products like vape cartridges, edibles, and “harder” drugs such as methamphetamine and opioids.
Hemp became officially legal on a federal level in the U.S. in December 2018 with the passing of the Hemp Farming Act of 2018. The bill “legalizes industrial hemp that has tetrahydrocannabinol of no more than 0.3 per cent by removing it from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act,” and grants hemp producers eligibility for resourced such as USDA research grants and federal crop insurance programs.
The bill has caused confusion in various states such as Texas, where authorities lack the resources to differentiate between hemp and high-THC cannabis — effectively decriminalizing the drug.
 
New Tennessee Policy May Allow More State Residents To Consume Marijuana

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will no longer test cannabis amounts weighing less than half an ounce.
Tennessee.jpg


Tennessee legislators can’t get medical marijuana legislation passed to save their lives, but the state’s Bureau of Investigation has announced a new policy that may make it easier on cannabis consumers. The agency will stop testing quantities of marijuana that are under half an ounce.

The shift will supposedly make it prohibitively difficult for prosecutors to build a case against individuals charged with cannabis possession. Without evidence that the substance carried by individuals is cannabis, cops won’t have much to work with.

But as a local news site reports, not everyone is enthused the shift. “This is not necessarily something that should give us any hope,” said Josh Spickler, executive director of justice reform group Just City. “We don’t have decriminalization. It is still a crime, and our police department has been very clear that they pursue arrests for possession of this drug.”

Criminal defense lawyer Brandon Hall says the new 14-gram cutoff may result in more people charged with cannabis offenses opting to go to trial rather than plead guilty.


“It would result in a dismissal because they could not meet their burden of proof to show that the drug, the alleged marijuana, actually contained THC,” Hall said. Currently, the attorney says that not too many possession cases make it to trial, and that the state tries to take care of them before they make it that far.

Despite many pieces of proposed cannabis legislation, Tennessee continues to be a state without legal access to recreational or even medical marijuana. In 2019, for the third consecutive year, a medical cannabis bill went nowhere. Republican state senator and anesthesiologist Steve Dickerson has sponsored the failed plans. He says he will try again next year, when he will hopefully be able to pull together more votes in support of medical cannabis access. Dickerson says the plan is “on the precipice of success,” although it cannot be considered until 2020.

The drag on legalization of even medicinal marijuana runs contrary to the wishes of a lot of state residents. A poll with results published in September found that a full 88 percent of respondents in the Tennessee state capital of Chattanooga were in favor of legalizing medicinal cannabis, and 40 percent thought that recreational marijuana should also be regulated.


Tennessee has also seen a rapid expansion in its hemp industry, with the quantity of licensed farmers expanding by almost 1,500 percent in 2019. Many of those, however, have expressed uncertainty about who will buy their crop when it is ready to be processed. Cooperatives have sprung up to help connect producers with suppliers.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced in September that it had developed a minutes-long lab process that could tell the difference between hemp and marijuana. The technology will reportedly assist the agency in processing its current caseload of 10,000 cannabis-related offenses. But happily, thanks to the bureau’s recent memo, it appears that the technology will not be used anytime soon for individuals carrying around a respectable amount of weed.
 
Man arrested for smoking marijuana cigarette in courtroom


5e2f5227ae787.image.jpg

Spencer Boston was charged with disorderly conduct and simple possession by the Wilson County Sheriff's Office. (Photo: Wilson County Sheriff's Office)


LEBANON, TN (WSMV) - A man making a court appearance on a charge of simple possession was arrested on Monday after lighting a marijuana cigarette in the courtroom.


Spencer Boston was called to discuss his case before General Sessions Judge Haywood Barry. Spencer was talking about how marijuana needed to be legalized. He reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a rolled marijuana cigarette. He placed it in his mouth, then pulled out a book of matches and lit it and began to smoke the rolled cigarette. The cigarette gave off the odor of burning marijuana.

The courtroom erupted into laughter at Spencer’s action, disrupting the normal daily activity in the court. Spencer was taken into custody and charged with disorderly conduct and simple possession of a Schedule VI drug.
 
Man arrested for smoking marijuana cigarette in courtroom


View attachment 15855
Spencer Boston was charged with disorderly conduct and simple possession by the Wilson County Sheriff's Office. (Photo: Wilson County Sheriff's Office)


LEBANON, TN (WSMV) - A man making a court appearance on a charge of simple possession was arrested on Monday after lighting a marijuana cigarette in the courtroom.


Spencer Boston was called to discuss his case before General Sessions Judge Haywood Barry. Spencer was talking about how marijuana needed to be legalized. He reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a rolled marijuana cigarette. He placed it in his mouth, then pulled out a book of matches and lit it and began to smoke the rolled cigarette. The cigarette gave off the odor of burning marijuana.

The courtroom erupted into laughter at Spencer’s action, disrupting the normal daily activity in the court. Spencer was taken into custody and charged with disorderly conduct and simple possession of a Schedule VI drug.
When I lived in Kentucky, there was a charming expression that I heard from time to time. It went something like this, "There ain't no cure for stupid". After reading this, I'm wondering if it wouldn't be also true in neighboring Tennessee.
 

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/gop...al-marijuana-legalization-in-new-campaign-ad/

GOP Tennessee Senator Calls For Medical Marijuana Legalization In New Campaign Ad


A Tennessee senator touted his support for legalizing medical marijuana in a campaign ad released on Friday.

In the 30-second spot, which has notably high production value for this kind of local race, state Sen. Steve Dickerson (R) talks about both the therapeutic benefits of cannabis and the consequences of broader marijuana criminalization.

“As your state senator, I’ve led the fight to legalize medical marijuana so our veterans and sickest Tennesseans can deal with chronic pain,” he said. “But this same life-saving plant has led to mass incarceration, with nonviolent marijuana possession resulting in lengthy prison sentences.”

“I think that’s wrong. That’s why I’ve been pushing for criminal justice reform,” the senator added.

Dickerson, who sponsored a medical cannabis legalization bill that cleared a Senate committee in March, said in a Q&A published earlier this month that the policy change would be among his top three legislative priorities if he’s reelected.

His Democratic opponent, former Oak Hill Mayor Heidi Campbell, is in favor of “fully legalizing marijuana,” with her campaign site stating that cannabis crimes “disproportionately impact people of color and it’s time to end marijuana prohibition.”

But while Dickerson has earned a reputation as a moderate Republican given his positions on issues like cannabis reform, he’s faced backlash after declining to denounce an independent ad taken out on his behalf that some, including the LGBTQ rights organization Tennessee Equality Project (TEP), called racist.

The ad, which was paid for by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally’s (R) political action committee MCPAC, hits Campbell over her support for a nonprofit organization that is designed to keep young people out of prison, and it frames the group as “radical” and “extremist.” TEP rescinded their endorsement of Dickerson over his refusal to condemn the ad.

In the Tennessee legislature, marijuana reform has yet to pass—but there’s growing recognition that voters are in favor of the policy change. For example, former House Speaker Glen Casada (R) released the results of a constituent survey last year that showed 73 percent of those in his district back medical cannabis legalization.

Another former GOP House speaker, Beth Harwell, highlighted her support for the reform proposal during her unsuccessful bid for governor in 2018, and she referenced President Trump’s stated support for medical marijuana on the campaign trail.

In other Tennessee drug policy politics, a lawmaker in June blocked a resolution to honor murdered teen Ashanti Posey because she was allegedly involved in a low-level cannabis sale the day she was killed.
 

Tennessee Senators Approve Medical Marijuana Bill In Committee


A bill to legalize medical marijuana in Tennessee cleared a Senate committee on Wednesday, while the panel rejected a separate proposal that would have simply required regulators to study the prospect of eventually enacting the reform if federal law changed.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Janice Bowling (R), was approved by the Senate Government Operations Committee in a 6-2 vote and has now been advanced to the Judiciary Committee for consideration.

It would allow patients with qualifying conditions to possess and purchase cannabis from licensed dispensaries. However, marijuana products couldn’t be for smoking or vaping, nor could they be infused into food items. A medical cannabis commission would be established to issue licenses and set out regulations for the program.

“We should not be making criminals out of people who need help with their health treatment and they want to be addicted to opioids,” Bowling said, adding that she felt the coronavirus pandemic demonstrated the need to legalize cannabis for therapeutic use.

Meanwhile, the committee voted 5-3, with one member voting present, to reject a proposal to create a commission tasked with analyzing federal and state cannabis laws and helping to prepare legislation to legalize medical marijuana in the event that Congress rescheduled the plant.

That legislation will still move to the Judiciary Committee as well—but with a negative recommendation.

Under the committee-approved legalization bill, there would be a nine percent sales tax on cannabis products, with local jurisdictions being authorized to tack on an additional tax of up to 2.1 percent. Revenue would be used to fund the implementation of the program, community and economic development grants, veterans services and law enforcement training related to opioids and methamphetamine.

Local lawmakers could opt out of allowing medical cannabis businesses to operate in their areas if they have a two-thirds majority, but residents could still have marijuana delivered from outside the city.

A statewide tracking system for cannabis products and a patient registry would be required under the bill. Conditions that would qualify patients for marijuana include cancer, glaucoma, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and seizures. There’s a more limited list of conditions for those under 18, and regulators could later add additional maladies to the list.

The commission would have to promulgate rules for the program and approve medical cannabis card applications by June 1, 2022.

A fiscal analysis determined that implementing the policy change would allow Tennessee to bring in about $8.3 million in revenue in the first year of legal sales and upwards of $25 million starting in 2023.

“This is about the people who desperately need it,” Bowling said. “This is about the $1.5 billion black market that exists in Tennessee right now, where your friends and neighbors—you’ve gone to their funerals—who’ve gone to get a product to try to help themselves or a loved one, and ended up with getting something in the black market laced with fentanyl.”

It remains to be seen whether the legislature will get behind the reform measure. Another Senate committee approved a medical cannabis legalization bill last year, but it did not advance further before the end of the session.

What is evident, however, is that Tennessee voters are broadly in favor of the issue. Former House Speaker Glen Casada (R) released the results of a constituent survey in 2019 that showed 73 percent of those in his district back medical cannabis.

Another former GOP House speaker, Beth Harwell, highlighted her support for the policy change during her unsuccessful bid for governor in 2018, and she referenced then-President Trump’s stated support for medical marijuana on the campaign trail.
 

Limited Tennessee Medical Marijuana Bill Heads To Senate Floor


A bill to legalize possession of marijuana for some patients with certain medical conditions is going to the Senate floor in Tennessee following committee approval. Lawmakers in that panel also approved a separate measure to create a commission to study state and federal cannabis laws.

The first bill, sponsored by Sen. Becky Duncan Massey (R), would amend state statute to carve out a medical cannabis exception for people with written proof that they’ve been diagnosed with one of 11 conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder and HIV/AIDS.

But there’s a catch: Tennessee doesn’t have any cannabis dispensaries where patients would be able to lawfully obtain the product. There seems to be something of a workaround, as the bill does stipulate that possessing marijuana or its derivatives would be legal if the person has proof they obtained it to treat a medical condition from “a licensed medical marijuana dispensary in a jurisdiction where the sale of the cannabis” is legal.

So hypothetically, a patient could go to another state and obtain a medical cannabis recommendation, purchase the product there and bring it back to Tennessee. But beyond being an onerous process for patients, the legislation also creates a series of restrictions for what kind of marijuana could be possessed.

The cannabis product couldn’t be intended for smoking or vaping; the amount of cannabis couldn’t be more than a 30-day supply or contain more than 2,800mg of THC; and it would have to be contained in its original packaging and labeled by the dispensary to indicate that it’s for therapeutic use.

In practice, it seems the proposal would be more likely to benefit out-of-state medical marijuana patients who travel through Tennessee with their medicine.

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the legislation by a vote of 5-3 on Monday. It now heads to the floor for consideration.

This version that’s advancing is notably different than how the bill was introduced in February. At first, it would have simply requested that the Department of Health “perform a study on the licensure and regulation of cannabis for medical use” and report its findings to the legislature by December 15.

Massey told Marijuana Moment in an email on Wednesday that lawmakers “are working on a slightly different version in the House,” but her version “will go to a floor vote either later next week or the following week.”



The committee on Wednesday also approved legislation that would create a commission tasked with analyzing federal and state cannabis laws and helping to prepare legislation to legalize medical marijuana in the event that Congress rescheduled the plant. A separate panel advanced that bill with a negative recommendation last month, but it’s now heading to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee.
 

Tennessee Governor Signs Bill To Expand State’s Limited Medical Marijuana Program


The governor of Tennessee has signed a bill to expand the state’s limited CBD program and create a commission to study broader medical marijuana legalization.

Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed off on the legislation weeks after lawmakers sent it to his desk. But while advocates will take whatever reform victories they can get in the conservative state, there’s frustration that the legislature was unable to deliver a more comprehensive medical cannabis expansion proposal.

The enacted bill will allow patients with qualifying conditions to possess CBD oil that contains no more than 0.9 percent THC, which is three times greater than the federal definition of hemp.

The current program’s list of qualifying conditions will be expanded beyond intractable epilepsy to add Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, cancer, inflammatory bowel syndrome, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS and sickle cell disease. People would have to keep proof of their condition and a recommendation from a physician in order to possess the oil.

But in order to obtain the medicine, Tennesseans will have to go out of state or obtain it illegally, as there is currently no means to lawfully purchase cannabis within the state. In effect, the bill simply provides legal protections for certain patients under strict circumstances.

Under the legislation, a nine-member commission will also be tasked with analyzing federal and state cannabis laws and helping to prepare future bills to legalize medical marijuana. However, the measure states that implementing a medical cannabis market is incumbent on Congress federally rescheduling the plant.

Before the final vote in the House, lawmakers defeated a proposed amendment to remove the Senate’s language on waiting for a federal policy change before establishing a medical marijuana program.

In related news, the Texas legislature recently sent a bill to Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) desk that would add cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of conditions that qualify patients for medical cannabis and double the THC cap for marijuana products.

In Tennessee, Lee opposed the broader medical marijuana legalization bill that died in committee this session. But the sponsor of that legislation said the governor “removed his philosophical flag” and predicted that the governor would sign the compromise bill.

The nine-member commission will “serve as a resource for the study of federal and state laws regarding medical cannabis and the preparation of legislation to establish an effective, patient-focused medical cannabis program in this state upon the rescheduling or descheduling of marijuana from Schedule I of the federal Controlled Substances Act,” the text of the bill states.

It “does not authorize a medical cannabis program to operate in this state, and licenses for such a program shall not be issued, or authorized to be issued, until marijuana is removed from Schedule I of the federal Controlled Substances Act,” the measure continues.

The commission will need to look at federal and state marijuana policies as they concern patient qualifications, registration, the role of medical professionals in recommending cannabis, the role of pharmacists, licensing and regulation of marijuana businesses, testing protocol, current laws on possession and use of cannabis and taxes, among other factors.

Their first report, which must be submitted to both chambers of the legislature, will be due by January 1, 2022.

A Senate committee approved a medical marijuana legalization bill last year, but it did not advance further before the end of the session.

The state’s voters are broadly in favor of the policy change. Former House Speaker Glen Casada (R) released the results of a constituent survey in 2019 that showed 73 percent of those in his district back medical cannabis.

Former GOP House Speaker Beth Harwell highlighted her support for the policy change during her unsuccessful bid for governor in 2018, and she referenced then-President Trump’s stated support for medical marijuana on the campaign trail.
 

Tennessee Valley Authority Warns It Won’t Power Cannabis Operations

Tennessee is up in arms because, despite impending state legalization, a major power company will not supply power to legal cannabis.

The Tennessee Valley Authority warned millions of customers last week that it will not supply electricity to cannabis operations producing cannabis legally under state law. The announcement came on the same day that Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed a bill legalizing medical marijuana in the state.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally-owned electric utility company that provides power to millions of business and residential customers in Tennessee and parts of six other southern states, including northeast Mississippi. In a statement obtained by the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, the TVA wrote that despite cannabis reform at the state level, marijuana is still a federally illegal substance.

“While some states have enacted (or may soon enact) laws permitting the cultivation and distribution of marijuana for either medicinal or recreational purposes, marijuana, regardless of its intended use, remains a Schedule I substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970,” the TVA wrote in its statement. “Federal resources and funds may not be purposely used to facilitate activity that potentially violates federal law.”

“Given this important point, TVA will not direct any federal resources or funds to the cultivation and/or distribution of marijuana,” the agency added.

The TVA statement went on to warn that if a TVA employee learns that a local power company is supplying electricity to a customer that “is engaged in activity that may violate federal law governing marijuana, the employee will report the activity to their management, and TVA management will make a determination regarding our reporting obligations to agencies that may have proper jurisdiction to enforce the federal Controlled Substances Act.”

Several local electric utilities in northeastern Mississippi including Tupelo Power & Light, Oxford Utilities, North East Mississippi Electric Power Association and the Tombigbee Electric Power Association are supplied with electricity by the TVA. But a spokesperson for the energy wholesaler did not clarify if the local power companies would be barred from supplying electricity to customers operating cannabis production facilities.

“I would refer you back to the language in the statement,” TVA spokesperson Scott Brooks told the Daily Journal.

The TVA said that it has reached out to federal authorities including the Department of Justice to ensure that its action is consistent with federal requirements. The electricity provider also said that it welcomed guidance from Congress “that could further inform TVA’s position.”

Congressmen Criticize TVA Warning​

After news of the TVA warning broke this week, two Democratic U.S. congressmen, Representative Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and Tennessee’s Steve Cohen, wrote a letter to the agency criticizing its announcement. The representatives, both members of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, wrote that the TVA has an obligation under federal law to provide electricity to all customers in its service area. They also noted that the warning from the electric utility coincided with last week’s signing of a medical cannabis legalization bill by Mississippi Governor Reeves.

“The actions outlined in the February 2 memo, issued on the same day as Mississippi’s enactment of a medical marijuana program, disregard the democratic will of the people of Mississippi,” they wrote. “Any suggestion of requiring TVA employees to report end-use customers suspected of engaging in activity involving marijuana is an affront to the people who voted in support of a medical cannabis program, to say nothing of the state legislature and governor, who overwhelmingly enacted a medical cannabis program. “

“Mississippi joined 36 other states in legalizing cannabis for medicinal use, a big step forward for the health and well-being of Mississippians,” Cohen said in a statement. “But TVA is blatantly ignoring that development by threatening to turn in legal cannabis businesses in Mississippi to federal agents. These policies are outdated, unpopular, and scientifically baseless.”

In their letter, Blumenauer and Cohen urged the TVA to rescind the statement issued last week and noted that the Department of Justice is barred by Congress from impeding, state-legal medical cannabis activities. They also called for the agency “to abide by congressional intent in refraining from impeding states in the implementation of medical cannabis programs.”

Cohen said that if the TVA follows through on its warning, the agency “would also be sadly out of step with the American people, even after polls and elections are showing again and again how voters react when given the choice to weigh in on access to cannabis.”

“From ballot measures to state legislatures, states are continuing to create state legal markets, while the federal government has failed to modernize its policies,” he said. “This is a time to provide clarity to TVA and is a golden opportunity to right-size federal cannabis policy.”
 
Ah....so, if you are merely paraplegic you don't qualify?
1651081626332.png



House bill adds quadriplegia for medical cannabis use in Tennessee


Lawmakers are trying to expand the use of medical cannabis in Tennessee with one saying he can personally benefit from its use.​


House Bill1747 adds quadriplegia as a qualifying medical condition for the lawful possession of cannabis oil.

“Members, I live with this diagnosis every day,” said the bill’s sponsor Representative Darren Jernigan (D-District 60) whose district includes the Old Hickory community of Davidson County.

The proposed legislation allows the Medical Cannabis Commission to study the effects and give lawful possession of cannabis oil to Tennesseeans who are quadriplegic. The current diagnoses on the list include Alzheimer’s, ALS, cancer, epilepsy, HIV, and sickle cell.

Representative Jernigan said adding quadriplegia to the list can help with the most common side effects like severe muscle spasms, chronic pain, overactive bladders, and insomnia.

“I’m in a chair sometimes 12 to 14 hours a day. At that point in time I can receive severe muscle spasms that are really stressful on my body that leads to insomnia,” Jernigan said. “I’ve exhausted all conventional treatments that are out there. I don’t smoke marijuana. I don’t get high. That’s not the intention of this. Law enforcement is deferred on this bill and with that explanation Mr. Speaker I renew my motion.”

The bill passed the house late Monday by a vote of 77 to 14. It’s scheduled to be discussed by state senators Wednesday.

“Representative I want to thank you for bringing the bill. Out of all the men on this floor, you may be the most courageous man on this floor for all that you had to endure and we appreciate you testifying and telling us the kind of challenges,” said Representative Joe Towns, Jr. (D-Memphis) as he addressed the House Monday. “Many of us have been behind on this issue and I think it’s time that we really really allow medical marijuana to be something that is utilized for the benefit of our people in this state of Tennessee
 

Sponsored by

VGoodiez 420EDC
Back
Top